The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-03-26
A MONSTER OAK.
the Historic Tree Taken From the Bed Of
the River Rhone In France.

the River Rhone In France.
We were attracted by placard an.
nouncing that large oak was on exhi-
bition near the Place de La Concorde,
although the object Of our visit was pot
to see large antedildyian oaks. The
advertisement was SO tempting, the
distance so short to reach the spot. and
the idea SO novel, that we turned our
steps toward the Seine where this oak
was exhibited on boat especially built
for its reception and exhibition.
Whatever scientists may think Of n.
we will only undertake to describe Il a.
1t appeared to us. The account Of where
it was found is not the least curious
portion of It's history. The bed Of the
Rhone. above the village 81 Yenne is
very wide, but becomes very narrow
not exceeding five hundred feet At the
foot of Fort Pere Ghstcl. It appears that
after the ffcshets in the Rhone the
waters of that river were unusually
low. At this point, inbedded deeply
in the sand, this giant tree was found.
A bargeman perceived a branch a
little above the surface of the
water. After several soundings he be-
came assured that this branch was at
tached to tree Of great length and size.
The level of the Rhone being very
changeable, the difficulties and doubtful
success delayed the undertaking of the
costly work for some time. The tree
was watched for ten long years. Atlast
favorite time presented itself by the
unusual fall of the waters of the Rhone
and from singular accident. In Sep
TENDER. 1888, in consequence of the sill
ding of the mountain Of Lillude, near
Bellegarde department of Ain. France)
which, it viii be remembered, carried
away the Cologne tunnel on the Lyons
and Geneva line, the Rhone was divided
into two streams by this oak. This bar
to navigation would have proved vic
tim to dynamite if the engineers and
men of science had not interposed. BY
the aid of $50 sturdy workmen the feat
of the removal was accomplished in $50
days. Twenty times the ropes and
windlasses gave way before tho work
was finished. Finally, amid the shouts
of the peasantry, the huge tree was safely
landed on the 25th of March, 1884. Its
dimensions are: length, 1O2 feet; cir
cumference, 20 feet inches; cube,
11410; weight, 121,00O pounds. One
limb which remains near the top is as
large as the largest oak of the French
forests. The top of this tree broken
off would probably have made the
full length of trunk 1914 feet.
The bark would have made
great addition to the circumference.
This tree Is undoubtedly the Quercus
of the ancients. One can look at it
and imagine all sorts of romantic sights
which have passed before it, and, as
tastes differ in this respect, will leave
your readers to their own lively imagi-
nation to cover this picture as they
choose. The scrubby trees twining
their roots about the rocks in the neigh
borhood can claim no relationship tc
this huge monster.
1t is an oak, it must be remembered.
and as such its proportions are large,
although his cousins of the Yosemite
valley could exhibit him as dwarf. The
proof seems indisputable that this tree
could not obtain its growth in less than
one thousand years, and whether and
how it resisted the flood for various
reasons l will omit to explain. The
Carolina oaks attain height of ninety
feet, but are not SO large rs this
specimen. This oak is straight, and
branches out at nearly height of
ninety feet. The tree is firmly braced
in the center of an iron boat 125 in
length and eighteen feet in width, and
admits of convenient passage around
it and is covered and inclosed, and can
thus traverse all the rivers and canals
of the continent, and could withstand
quite heavy sea. This ingeniously
contrived boat has a center-board which
preserves its equilibrium. and con-
trivance for lowering in the water, so
that it can pass underneath bridges.
The color of this oak, owing
to the length Of time it has been
in the water, is black as ebony.
1t has not in the slightest degree
become carbonized; as is demon
strated by cutting int some of the de-
tached branches. If it would not be
sacrilegious to destroy such natural
chef dcurrc it would make splendid
furniture, and at such price as would
insure a small fortune. We can not
close this description without abiding
to a continuance that unfortunately at
tracted our attention, which on closer
proved to be large brass
plate placed over knot-hole, followed
out about midway of the length of the
tree. bearing this inscription: oDo not